Best Tent Camping near Waurika, OK

East Side – Lake Lawtonka primitive tent camping sites are very well scattered and away from each other. They have two separate areas for primitive camping along with an RV and camper area. The RV and camper area sides are $20 a night with electricity and $8 a night for all primitive tent camping sites. The first primitive campsite is called the ponds. It's very heavily wooded and Lush. The other primitive campsite is very open with almost no trees. Both sides have a beautiful view of Mount Scott & Lake lawtonka. The relative closeness all the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is literally just across the lake. The view is outstanding but the only negative thing I have to say about this campsite is it there's no restrooms for the primitive camping areas. Both of them have only portable outhouses. No true rest rooms are nearby other than and the RV area. Other than that it's a great place for a wonderful weekend.

Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area, Fort Sill, OK

Cabin 3 (both late June and mid-October)

Lake Elmer Thomas(LETRA) is a 334 acre lake located on Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma. LETRA offers a pretty nice location for recreating. Offering quite a bit for families in a limited space.                                                                                                            •A nice beach and cordoned swim area, complete with restrooms and shower house(11a-7p)…lifeguards                                                                                                          •Sand volleyball court                                                                                                             •Watersport rentals: paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, pontoon boat                                      •Mini golf course                                                                                                                         •Disc golf course                                                                                                                     •RV/Camper area                                                                                                                         •Rustic rental cabins                                                                                                                    •Random primitive tent camping                                                                                        •Fishing                                                                                                                                              •Nearby off-base hiking(Mount Scott and the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge)              •Bicycling-ample quiet, paved road opportunities but surprisingly limited off road options 

Tent Camping: there are no specifically designated loop or numbered site tent areas. Tenters are permitted to camp all along the lake’s edge in the grassy area. There are a few picnic tables and elevated charcoal grills(no ground fires permitted), so you may have to do without. There are also a few picnic tables under shelters, but half are in a state of disrepair and caution-taped off. Tenters cannot set up tents within the cabin rental inner circle. 

The modern facility restrooms are across from the playground as you enter the cabin rental peninsula. Tent campers are able to utilize the shower house/restrooms in the RV/Camper section, as well as the beach areas during open hours. There is no ground cover to separate one tent from the next…all can be seen and heard. 

RV/Camper Sites: big rigs are lined up side by side in a separate gravel loop immediately to the left of the entrance. Sites have water and electric hookups. The nicest shower house/restroom is located there. There is a small patch of grass between sites, picnic table and elevated charcoal grill. These sites are closest to the entrance, beach area, watersport rental and campground activities. 

Cabin Rentals: log home rentals are on a small peninsula with great views of Mount Scott and Lake Elmer Thomas. At the time of this review, you must bring your own bedding linens/blankets, towels, etc. I would also recommend packing extra eating utensils, condiments and any other items that you would take camping. We rented Cabin 3, which the website says will sleep 4…inaccurate. One full size bed and a small futon will sleep two average-sized adults and one small child in marginal comfort. The table only provides two chairs, not four for two not four. I would subtract 1-2 persons on the cabins unless you count floor space. Cabin 3 was$80 nightly. 

Painted turtles are in abundance around the lake, as are smallish ‘fist-sized’ tarantulas. Bicycling the Artillary Range perimeter roadways on base, coyote dash across in early morning hours. Note: you are on a military base, so there are a number of restrictions that you need to be aware of and abide by. 

Additionally, the campground is positioned along the northern side of the Artillery range. Yes, you will see and hear C-Ram’s lighting up the sky randomly during the day and night hours, as well as other ordinance. I enjoyed the display and out-of-the-ordinary disruption. Think unanticipated fireworks.

Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area(LERTA), Fort Sill, OK

Tent Site:$10 (both in June and October)

Spending a week in Lawton, OK there are only “so many” places you can camp…so we jumped around every night to try as many as we could. The weather was blistering hot and cloudless during the day with a constant strong breeze in June...(and unseasonably windy and bitter cold in mid-October). So both Lake Elmer Thomas and Lake Lawtonka were a welcomed respite. Technically, the only swimming permitted on Lake Elmer Thomas is 11:00a-7:00p with a daily pass of $8. However, they offer packages for military families and civilians should someone desire to take advantage of the season savings. For campers it’s all included in the site or cabin costs. 

There is a separate RV/Camper Loop near the entrance and is a little lower so does not have Lake views. All cabins have lake views to some degree. 

Tent sites are grassy areas along the campground roadway on either side, but are not numbered and cost$10 a night. All are first-come, first-served. Most will snatch up the sheltered picnic table areas with an elevated charcoal grill. Almost all are along the lake bank. There is no understory or shrubbery to provide privacy, so you can see and hear your neighbors. 

During our stay, they were all young families and very respectful of others. Tent campers can utilize any of the restrooms as well as the showerhouse in the RV area. 

There is enough to stay busy right here at LERTA. Canoe, kayak, paddle board and pontoon boat rentals to enjoy the lake. Fishing is permitted and schools of bluegill are seen along the shoreline. The water is incredibly clear. A very nice mini-golf course is located across from the offices. Sand volleyball is next to the beach area. The beach and swimming area is manned by lifeguards from 11:00a-7:00p and offers a huge restroom/showers/changing rooms building. Playgrounds are located in the RV/Camper loop, outside the beach area and along the tenting area before you reach the cabin rentals. An archery range is located across the roadway from the tenting/picnic areas. 

The staff are very courteous and helpful. The entrance gate attendant will direct you (Entrance was manned in June but not in October). A bicycle event was taking place and LERTA was the halfway mark and turnaround point. So bicycling these sparsely traveled undulating roads was enjoyable. There are some two track worth exploring to the north of the roadway as well as a few other sizable lakes to fish in the area. 

DO NOT venture south off the roadway. It is a clearly marked and active artillery range. Also of note, artillery range practice, though sporadic, takes place at any hour of any day. If you treat it like an unexpected fireworks display you’ll actually look forward to it. 

I find the large resident flock of geese more annoying that the artillery….though the half minute displays were at 2359, 0245 and 0349…blasting you out of any REM cycle. 

I was advised the tent spots rarely fill up, but RV/Camper and cabin rentals(adventure travel letra)fill up quickly so reservations are a must. 

Things to do nearby: Definitely spend time in the Medicine Park Wildlife Refuge Area. Drive, bicycle, run or walk up Mount Scott(rock climbing is permitted on Mount Scott). Check out the hundreds of free roaming LongHorn’s, Bison and prairie dog towns. Coyotes, various snakes and tarantulas can be seen through these hills. Scores of fishable lakes dot the landscape. The Ferguson homestead still exists with its “cannonball” architecture. Chad's El Sabores Mexican Restaurant in Medicine Park is a fantastic little eatery on your way in or out of the Recreation Area. Medicine Park Aquarium and Natural Sciences Center is worth a visit and reasonably priced. Clarification: while this may or may not be true for every military base campground, 

LERTA is open to civilians. However, there is a process. Passes must be acquired at the Visitor’s Center at the Sheridan Entrance (plan for an hour) for each adult over 16. You must have a valid/current Drivers License, Passport or other recognized government ID. They do a background check before you qualify for a pass. Also know, certain gates close at 7:00p…so keep track of your time of off-base.

 The camp host rolled through during the evening before sunset to make sure all was well…and the military police made their rounds a few times during each day. Both of which I appreciate. 

Would I return? Yes, if I’m traveling through these parts again, I wouldn’t hesitate to camp here again (and I did in mid-October, same year for military graduations)

For improved campground I have always found KOA to maintain a certain level of consistency so when I went on a fun trip with some friends to check out the “rumored Texas Chainsaw Massacre” community just north of Wichita Falls we wanted to check out the KOA there. Now while you are reading this and probably thinking, “WHY WOULD YOU GO THERE??” Keep in mind it is the rumored house and there is no factual proof that it actually is there, instead we found some really interesting other creepy things to go check out, because why not.

Anyway, back to the campground itself.

I was very impressed with the green space, a lot of this area was already starting to brown because of the heat, but they were still looking fresh and soft and that would make for a much better location for our tent. The site itself was just under $30, one of three options they offer which are all only about $4 in difference in pricing. We sprung for the middle option with electrical hook ups, not because we needed them but because after driving around we liked the look of that site a bit more. The deluxe sites they offered were taken but they had bbq grills and a more private tent area, this has been my favorite at several other KOA locations because of the amenities however this again was taken so that wasn’t an option.

We settled in and noticed that there were very nice amenities, the pool was amazing and perfect for a cool down on the warm day. KOA usually has this kind of amenity available as well as some outdoor activities you can enjoy like playground or sports courts. We were told they do observe quiet hours however if we wanted to swim a bit later as long as we were not loud we could do so. I would ask if this is ok before just getting out there and doing it however!!

The shower area was very close to the tent space we had selected and as often is at a KOA, one of my favorite features because they are more home like than a typical National or State Park campground. The water was warm and the pressure was very good!!

I noticed there were several what looked to be long term campers there in RVs. While I personally am not effected by this, it did make the area they were staying in a little less kept looking. They were not over by the cabins and tents however so it wasn’t that off-putting to me, but I could see how if that is an RV stayers view it could be kind of annoying.

I used the WIFI here and it worked great, sometimes the campsites are a bit to far away and thus don’t get good connection, however I was able to use wifi for typical functions, although I did not fully test it with uploading anything major.

TIPS

If you are interested in a Deluxe site book in advance there are very few and they go fast during heavy traffic seasons. Usually at this campsite there are tent sites which are walk in ready however.

Explore around the campground because they have some very interesting items if you are willing to just walk around and see them which are unique to this campground.

• Be careful for stickers. While the area we were in didn’t seem to have them we did notice when walking around especially near the dog walk area they seemed to be pretty bad.

I went to go check out campgrounds around the lake and this one had been recommended by someone in the community of Waurika. Unfortunately when I went out here though it was closed!! There is a nice mercantile and boat storage area just outside of the gate which could explain the recommendation because amenities are so close, however when I arrived the gates were locked.

TIPS:

• Check your visitation in advance for months of operation at this campground along with others.

• When coming to this area check for local events including fishing tournaments and the infamous RattleSnake Roundup.

We needed a quick spot for an impromptu camping trek so hike the Wichita mountains. The Wichita Reserve seemed to be closed to tent campers due to Covid, so we opted for this spot in a pinch. Setup directly next to the lake and had a great view of Mt. Scott at sunset! Only complaint was proximity to the road, as there was some passing truck noise throughout the night.

This is mainly an RV site however they do have a few sites for tents. Tents and vans are only $20 per night with full access to amenities. RVs are $35 per night and they do make concessions for long term stay as well.

Something that sets this apart from other locations in the area is it provides a small store for those staying and also access to storage for recreational vehicles. It also has on site propane sales so if you happen to be in an RV you do not have to worry about finding supplies elsewhere.

I enjoy the pool at this stop perhaps the most. It is rare that it is busy despite also allowing non campers to for a small fee swim.

Bathrooms and showers are available in the main building however they also have a clubhouse which can be used for a fee that includes a kitchen which makes it feel like a more complete campground experience.

This is one of the most popular roadside stops in this area because of its amenities.

Tips:

• Call ahead for long term camping sites - also available are campers available to rent when available

• Each site is metered for long term campers so they will have direct feed to electricity and is pay by the month by the meter

• Store here offers a variety of household items as well as food items. If you aren't fully prepared when you arrive this store is very helpful but a little higher than marketstores

If you are in an RV this is the area at Nocona Lake you will want to check out. Unlike the other two campground which focus more on the tent camper this one has actual RV sites with improvements though they are not waterfront and also area a little small. Sewer and Water are available for a fee in addition to a dump station.

If you are a tent camper they do have these as well so this makes this campground the more busy of the three when it comes to holidays and nice weather.

The facility has grills and picnic tables and though they are not in the best of condition they are more recently replaced that other campgrounds and are sheltered from the hot sun with covers.

This area is the more patrolled of the campsites around the lake so you will have a lot more supervision here and less likely to encounter rogue kids trying to party.

The positives of staying here include a small fishing pier and boat ramp which is better for larger motor boats then some of the other smaller launch ramps. It is pretty clean, the trash isn’t full and is clearly picked up often. The area is very wide open so it is easy to move around in with your boat, trailer or RV.

Now to the negatives. With this being a more populated site it can fill up quickly during nice weather around holidays and with that it can be a little hectic. With this being the most busy boat ramp on public access you will have a lot of in and out traffic.

And lastly, the bathrooms, none of the public facilities are much more than a port a potty, they are a bit odd and not well maintained.

TIPS:

• Grab supplies before coming out to the lake at any number of stores in Nocona. The community itself has a grocery store and several mini-marts which provide pretty much everything you could need. The only place you will find on the way out to the lake isn’t open often and everything seems a little dusty.
• Try geocaching in this area, there are several geocaches which range in size from small sign in only to trinkets. It is a great activity to try with the family and will provide a fun way to get away from the crowds of the lake on a busy weekend.

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When selecting a campground in Oklahoma, options are numerous. With the heat of the summer months however looking at lake properties is something which definitely holds a lot of appeal. 

I was in the Duncan/Marlow area and noticed the upgraded features at several of the local lakes which are designed to welcome guests. Amongst those Clear Creek Lake, a mid sized lake with about 11 miles of shoreline. The lake itself offers water activities such as fishing, swimming and boating with numerous areas for recreation located around the waters edge. 

The campground itself offers two styles of camping, primitive and improved with prices varying from$7 to$17. Spaces are large and spacious with lake views and easy water access. Something unique to this lake is they offer extended stay up to 21 days at their location for campers. A pay kiosk was located at the entry to the common space for recreation to assess fees for not only camping but day use on the property. This kiosk accepts card only payment. 

When I visited I noticed that most of the campsites were located right on the shoreline itself and despite many of the spaces being occupied by larger RVs they were not crowded feeling at all as spaces were large enough to feel comfortable. Each space included a fire ring and picnic table and those with improved camping had access to spigots and covered electrical connections right on their site. Primitive sites had common spigots centrally located. 

Public use and day use areas were also within the camping zone and included playgrounds, picnic areas and a large pavilion(which can also be reserved). 

The one slightly confusing point upon my visit was the restroom area. In the more densely populated camping area the restrooms were a bit older, lacked doors on stalls and had bare amenities you would expect from a day use only site. In the area with boat access ramps and fishing piers in addition to swimming areas, located across a small bridge from the main camping area, you could find the newly constructed shower and restroom area. This area was vastly better than the other but located much further from the camping zone itself. 

On the recreation side of the lake boat ramps and fishing piers jut out into the water at several points, a“beach” area of sorts is indicated with markers in the water which is pretty large and an additional playground and common picnic pavilion are accessible. In this area larger parking was available for boat launch and additional smaller parking access along roadway was available for those visiting the beach.

When I was younger we used to go over to this lake to ride bikes around during the spring. It was never very busy and mostly was just a few people wanting a weekend get away here and there or a person wanting to use the boat launch.

There is no fee to come out to this place, so I decided to go back and check it out recently and see if it was worth a daycation to hit the water.

It is hot in Texas right now to say the least! Because of this most of the grass and other vegetation is pretty dry. There were some signs posted about no burning in the area so a campfire would have been out of the question had I decided to stay.

The area is scattered with camping sites and could accommodate tents only per its posted policy although there are no improvements such as dump stations or electrical hookups. These sites were rocky and uneven for the most part but you could find hard packed areas that were a little more smooth if you really looked.

There is a restroom available however it is small but serves the purpose of a restroom only. To be honest this restroom was not some place you would want to use unless you had to, it was more of a port-a-potty in a metal shelter.

I did notice a few scattered picnic tables. I remember when I was younger these made for a great place to sit down and have a meal, they were shaded and close to parking for those wanting to use this park for day use. Many of them needed to be reworked because their metal roof was peeling up from heavy winds.

Of the three public facilities this one had to be the middle of the three in way of upkeep and condition. There was nothing which made it overly exceptional. It was the most quiet of the three as well because the majority of those coming out to the lake either want improvements or the larger docks for fishing, and this has neither.

TIPS:

• Take your own toilet paper. A lot of people come through here because it is the more improved of three campgrounds in this area so they utilize the facilities for day use and sometimes it is not maintained as often as the traffic would dictate.
• Try boating from the launch. This lake is great for smaller boats like canoes or smaller fishing boats. In recent years it has endured some falling of the lake levels so I would recommend a smaller boat instead of a larger one.

When getting ready for summer fun, one of the most simplistic adventures you can go on is a trip to the lake.  We loaded up the car on a random Tuesday with intention of hitting the lake and taking some time to sleep under the stars once again as we traveled to Amon G. Carter Lake in North Texas and found Selma Park.

Nestled just outside of Bowie, TX the camping area services both the night camper and also the day use explorer.  Facilities offer a boat ramp, camping, swimming pier and beach area as well as fishing areas.  Public toilets are located on property that include flush toilets and public showers and throughout the facility are awnings with picnic tables for those using camp facilities.  Partial hook ups are available for rvs as well making the campground assessable to adventurers of all kinds.

When we arrived friends were already at the facility and had found a location perfect for our night of camping on a peninsula jutting out into the lake.  The area was well maintained and with the exception of a few broken glasses that were present the area was clear.  We just made sure to steer clear of these during our stay as the pieces were to small to be picked up.

The camp host drove to our site after we began assembling our tent, as we had missed his location on the way into the facility and made sure to collect our fees for the night.   Only $5 for the night on a lake front property is more than reasonable.  

Our location was a short drive from the public restrooms that are centralized on the property.  Bathrooms were a bit dim but overall served the purpose.  Gates to through traffic closed at 10 p.m. in the attempt to keep late night traffic away from the facility and provide additional safety, which was a nice touch for those camping.

There were both shaded sites as well as those more open to the elements.  Ours being on the peninsula was more open, great for lakeside views but unfortunately a bit windy at night without additional cover.  Still the sites were nice and pleasant and well patrolled. 

We enjoyed swimming in the lake, grilling and even a campfire by night at this location, which was not busy on the quiet Tuesday evening.   

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I would give this site 4 of 5 Bunnies for its easy access, variety of campsites and overall conditions of the facilities.  The only areas of improvement I could see would be additional maintenance to bathrooms including additional lighting for safety. Otherwise price point was great for a simple outing and will for sure be going back!

This is a very nice C.O.E. campground. 95 improved camping spots. About half of them back up to Haurika Reservoir. All sites have either 30 or 50 amp service. Water is only on designated sites so be diligent when searching for a site. The park itself is as old as the lake. Bathrooms are old and moderately cared for. The staff are very friendly and gladly accommodated us when we wanted to change our reserved site to another. There are a few “first come” sites available but the majority are by reservation only. It’s a very peaceful, low cost($10.00 to $20.00) and I would recommend this campground.

Stopped here a couple times for overnights. A little off my travel route, but it's well worth it. Very nice and it's never crowded.

We did not stay here but it looks to be a few more sites than the one across the lake.

This trail has absolutely amazing views and worth the stop.

I’m glad we stopped before leaving the area.

Went to stroud lake for honey moon it was amazing